Dynamic VCONN swapping in dual-powered type-C cable applications

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C cable comprises a USB Type-C connector and an IC controller coupled thereto. The IC controller comprises a terminal coupled to a VCONN line of the USB Type-C cable, a transistor coupled between the terminal and an internal power supply of the IC controller, a resistive element coupled between the terminal and a control terminal of the transistor, and control logic. The IC controller is to: power on the transistor from a voltage, received at the terminal, falling across the resistive element; power on the internal power supply in response to the voltage being passed through the transistor; power up the IC controller in response to powering on the internal power supply; and operate the control logic to fully power on the transistor, and thus enter an active mode of the IC controller.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C cable comprising:
 a USB Type-C connector comprising a VCONN line; and 
 an integrated circuit (IC) controller coupled to the USB Type-C connector, the IC controller comprising:
 a terminal coupled to the VCONN line; 
 a transistor coupled between the terminal and an internal power supply of the IC controller; 
 a resistive element coupled between the terminal and a control terminal of the transistor; and 
 control logic; 
 
 wherein the IC controller is to:
 power on the transistor from a voltage, received at the terminal, falling across the resistive element; 
 power on the internal power supply in response to the voltage being passed through the transistor; 
 power up the IC controller in response to powering on the internal power supply; and 
 operate the control logic to fully power on the transistor, and thus enter an active mode of the IC controller, in response to powering up of the IC controller. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 1 , wherein the IC controller is to power on the internal power supply to a voltage level that is to de-assert a power-on-reset circuit of the IC controller. 
     
     
       3. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 1 , wherein the IC controller is further to:
 detect that the voltage at the terminal exceeds a threshold voltage; and 
 operate the control logic to pass a boost voltage to the control terminal of the transistor to fully activate the transistor, responsive to the voltage at the terminal exceeding the threshold voltage. 
 
     
     
       4. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 3 , wherein during power on of the IC controller, the control logic is further to set a switch enable signal to pass the boost voltage to the control terminal of the transistor. 
     
     
       5. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 1 , wherein the IC controller further comprises:
 a charge pump; and 
 a switch circuit coupled between the charge pump and the control terminal of the transistor. 
 
     
     
       6. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 5 , wherein the switch circuit is coupled to receive an enable signal from the control logic. 
     
     
       7. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 1 , wherein the IC controller further comprises a clamp coupled between the control terminal of the transistor and ground, wherein the clamp is to limit the voltage on the control terminal of the transistor to a maximum voltage. 
     
     
       8. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 7 , wherein the maximum voltage is no more than 6V. 
     
     
       9. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 1 , wherein the IC controller further comprises an electrostatic discharge (ESD) resistive element coupled between a source terminal of the transistor and the internal power supply, wherein the ESD resistive element is to provide ESD protection from an over-current surge on the terminal. 
     
     
       10. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 1 , further comprising a clock and data recovery (CDR) controller coupled to transmit (TX) lines and receive (RX) lines of the USB Type-C cable. 
     
     
       11. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C cable comprising:
 a first USB Type-C connector comprising a first VCONN line; 
 a second USB Type-C connector comprising a second VCONN line; and 
 an integrated circuit (IC) controller coupled to the first USB Type-C connector and the second USB Type-C connector, the IC controller comprising:
 a first terminal coupled to the first VCONN line; 
 a first transistor coupled between the first terminal and an internal power supply of the IC controller; 
 a first resistive element coupled between the first terminal and a control terminal of the first transistor; 
 a second terminal coupled to the second VCONN line; 
 a second transistor coupled between the second terminal and the internal power supply of the IC controller; 
 a second resistive element coupled between the second terminal and a control terminal of the second transistor; and 
 control logic; 
 
 wherein the IC controller is to:
 power on the first transistor from a voltage, received at the first terminal, falling across the first resistive element; 
 power on the internal power supply in response to the voltage being passed through the first transistor; 
 power up the IC controller in response to powering on the internal power supply; and 
 operate the control logic to fully power on the first transistor, and thus enter an active mode of the IC controller, in response to powering up of the IC controller. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 11 , wherein the IC controller is to power on the internal power supply to a voltage level that is to de-assert a power-on-reset circuit of the IC controller. 
     
     
       13. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 11 , wherein the IC controller further comprises:
 a charge pump; 
 a first switch circuit coupled between the charge pump and the control terminal of the first transistor; 
 a second switch circuit coupled between the charge pump and the control terminal of the second transistor; and 
 wherein the IC controller is further to:
 detect that the voltage at the first terminal exceeds a threshold voltage; and 
 responsive to the voltage at the first terminal exceeding the threshold voltage, operate the control logic to:
 turn on the first switch circuit to pass a boost voltage from the charge pump to the control terminal of the first transistor, to fully activate the first transistor; and 
 turn off the second switch circuit to disable the second transistor. 
 
 
 
     
     
       14. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 13 , wherein the IC controller is further to:
 during power on of the IC controller, operate the control logic to:
 set a switch enable signal to turn on the first switch circuit; and 
 set a switch disable signal to turn off the second switch circuit. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 13 , wherein the IC controller is further to:
 subsequent to detecting that the voltage at the first terminal exceeds the threshold voltage, detect that a voltage at the second terminal exceeds the threshold voltage; and 
 responsive to the voltage at the second terminal exceeding the threshold voltage, operate the control logic to:
 turn off the first switch circuit to disable the first transistor; and 
 turn on the second switch circuit to pass the boost voltage from the charge pump to the control terminal of the second transistor, to fully activate the second transistor. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 13 , wherein the IC controller is further to:
 detect multiple successive changes in a voltage at the second terminal that pass back and forth between exceeding the threshold voltage and not exceeding the threshold voltage; and 
 wait until the voltage at the second terminal exceeds the threshold voltage for a predetermined amount of time before operating the control logic to turn off the first switch circuit and to turn on the second switch circuit to pass the boost voltage from the charge pump to the control terminal of the second transistor, in order to fully activate the second transistor and thereby to cause the IC controller to being powered via the second terminal. 
 
     
     
       17. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 11 , wherein the IC controller further comprises:
 a first clamp coupled between the control terminal of the first transistor and ground, wherein the first clamp is to limit the voltage on the control terminal of the first transistor to a maximum voltage; and 
 a second clamp coupled between the control terminal of the second transistor and ground, wherein the second clamp is to limit the voltage on the control terminal of the second transistor to the maximum voltage. 
 
     
     
       18. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 17 , wherein the maximum voltage is no more than 6V. 
     
     
       19. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 11 , wherein the IC controller further comprises:
 a first electrostatic discharge (ESD) resistive element coupled between a source terminal of the first transistor and the internal power supply, wherein the first ESD resistive element is to provide ESD protection from an over-current surge on the first terminal; and 
 a second electrostatic discharge (ESD) resistive element coupled between a source terminal of the second transistor and the internal power supply, wherein the second ESD resistive element is to provide ESD protection from an over-current surge on the second terminal. 
 
     
     
       20. The USB Type-C cable of  claim 11 , further comprising a clock and data recovery (CDR) controller coupled to transmit (TX) lines and receive (RX) lines of the USB Type-C cable.